Part XIII

Anakin rested his head between Obi-Wan's shoulder blades, his arms wrapped round the older man's middle. He had protested furiously, insisting that he was well enough to ride his own speeder bike, but he could now see the wisdom in his traveling with Obi-Wan. Only a short way out from Mos Eisley his head had begun feel fuzzy once again. From then on out he'd kept his head against Obi-Wan's back. Unfortunately it didn't help as much as he would have liked because it felt as though there was someone trying to bore down into his very thoughts. There wasn't any of the calm comfort that came from Obi-Wan's mind brushing against his own, it was far more intrusive. Painfully so. And as much as he tried to fight against it, that feeling only got worse.

"We're nearly there, Anakin," Obi-Wan called over his shoulder. "I think I can see it from here."

Poking his head up above the older man's shoulder, Anakin peered in the direction they were headed. Squinting against the bright sunlight, he could just make out the shape of a good-sized limestone structure with two spires on either side.

He will never truly forgive you. No matter what you do he will always fear you. No one that turns to the Dark Side can ever fully return. There will always be a darkness in you that will slowly begin to infect him as well. Is that what you truly want? To destroy him just like you did the Order you'd both pledged your lives to? Because that is exactly what you will do. Everything that was good in him will become just as tainted as everything else you've ever touched.

The voice rang loudly in his ears, blocking out even the sounds of the speeder bikes. It wasn't any voice that he recognized. It sounded like Sidious' only a little different. Darker than even his voice.

Your children will suffer if you are allowed near them.

Moaning, Anakin held even tighter to Obi-Wan. He would have burrowed his way entirely inside of Obi-Wan if it was at all possible. And while that wasn't possible, he sighed with relief when Obi-Wan slipped his fingers through his, squeezing his hand tightly. Anakin relaxed somewhat then, focusing instead on the comforting hum that seemed to warm him from inside.

"The Council has insisted that we sever our training bond," Obi-Wan murmured as entered their apartment the last afternoon of their leave on Coruscant. "As I am no longer your master they do not feel that it is wise to maintain the bond."

Anakin looked up from his datapad, his eyes wide and fearful. "You didn't agree with them, did you?"

Crossing the room, Obi-Wan stood before the sofa in the middle of the common room, arms crossed over his chest. "I informed them that I would do what was in the best interest of the Jedi Order."

"Thank the Force," Anakin sighed, sinking back against the cushions.

"Are you so certain that I agreed with them?"

The question only earned him a glare from his former padawan. "So you actually agree with the Council on this?"

"I never said that, young one," Obi-Wan contradicted, his lips twitching slightly ta the corners.

Smirking, Anakin reached out and grabbed hold of Obi-Wan's hand, drawing him down onto the sofa as well. "So then what have you decided, my master? Are we going to do as the Council ordered or not?"

Even though no words were being sent along their bond, Anakin absorbed the comfort Obi-Wan offered him. Close as it was to their destination, Anakin would have willingly dropped off into a deep sleep then. What he truly wanted was to wind himself around Obi-Wan, nothing between them and simply absorb the other man's presence. He couldn't, though, at least not then. Anakin wasn't fool enough to think that Sidious would just allow him to disappear. The Sith lord had put too much time and effort into luring him to the Dark Side to give up so quickly. And through it all he had been blissfully ignorant.

He will never trust you again. How could he when you murdered younglings?

Anakin wanted to cringe and pull away, but Obi-Wan's grip on his hand kept him in place. The fingers twined about his own weren't restrictive in any way, just gave him something to focus on. He needed to find some way to focus himself so that he could banish the dark energies that were clouding his mind.

For the life of him, Anakin could pinpoint the exact moment things within him had shifted to the Dark Side of the Force. Things had just started to spiral out of his control and before he knew it he was doing things that he never would have even contemplated without Sidious' urgings. And all of it so that he could save the life of the two people dearest to him.

"Padmé," Anakin said suddenly, leaning back slightly from where he rested against Obi-Wan's back. He had only whispered the word, but Obi-Wan must have sensed the sudden shift in his attention because the older man gave his hand a squeeze. It was the first time since he had left her apartments that she had even crossed his mind and Anakin wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. True, there was a valid reason why his attention had been so focused on Obi-Wan, but Padmé was carrying his child and should have at least warranted a spare thought or two. None of that, though.

For the past few days everything had been so out of control that Anakin was still struggling to get a grasp on what was happening around him. From the instant he had first thought that Obi-Wan was dead things had been piling up one on top of the other until Anakin didn't know how to climb out of it all.

Even after talking with the man down in the cantina, Obi-Wan hadn't been entirely too sure of what to think about the homestead he had purchased. Thankfully, news was slow enough to reach the Hutt dominated planet and it had taken very little effort in his part to convince the former farmer that Republic credits were an excellent form of currency. It would also cast no suspicion on the minds of anyone else who happened to be listening in on the conversation. From the outside, the homestead didn't appear very big, but Obi-Wan had spent enough time on desert planets to be aware that much of the building space would be underground in order to avoid the heat.

At the moment, though, the state of their temporary dwelling meant little to Obi-Wan. His main concern was Anakin and his lover's present state of mind. Something was decidedly off about the younger man, but Obi-Wan couldn't figure out what it was.

It was impossible for him to know, too, because he had never been so close to another Jedi who had fallen prey to the Dark Side and was now struggling out of that darkness. Anakin's emotions were so completely out of control that Obi-Wan didn't even know where to begin to help the younger man center himself. This was far beyond anything he had ever before encountered. Even with Anakin's always wild emotions, Obi-Wan felt entirely out of his depth.

Sighing deeply, Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He wanted to be surprised. He wanted to be indignant. In the end what he felt more than anything was bemused. He had been Anakin's Master for the past twelve years and honestly wasn't the least surprised that the younger man had taken it upon himself to sneak into the Separatist camp on the other side of the valley. And since Anakin's knighting a month earlier, it had become even more difficult for him to control his former padawan's actions as he could no longer use the "I'm your master and you'll do as I say," reasoning.

Instead he could only wait behind as Anakin once again thrust himself in harm's way. It was something that had always happened far too often for his taste. It didn't matter to Obi-Wan whether Anakin was the Chosen One or not, all that he wanted was what was best for the younger man. In his opinion that most certainly didn't include Anakin wandering off into enemy territory without anyone watching his back.

"He'll be fine, General. He always is," Cody attempted to assure him as he passed near to where Obi-Wan was standing.

"Just because Anakin will be fine doesn't mean I won't worry," Obi-Wan returned, his gaze never wavering from the valley spread out below them where Anakin was lurking about somewhere.

If anything Obi-Wan worried more now. He couldn't help worrying about Anakin. It was an ingrained reaction after so many years of missions. More times than he cared to recall, Anakin would manage to find danger where none existed, leaving Obi-Wan fearful for the younger man's life. Anakin always managed to escape unharmed, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

As he brought the speeder bike to a stop alongside the homestead, Obi-Wan let his eyes travel over the surrounding landscape. It was just as barren as he remembered it being thirteen years ago. Only in that instant, though, Obi-Wan realized that thirteen years had passed since he had first met Anakin. Thirteen years since his own Master had been murdered by the Sith monstrosity, Darth Maul. Obi-Wan found it difficult to believe that he had been that long without Qui-Gon. For so many years Qui-Gon had been his one constancy, much as he was sure he'd been Anakin's. The main difference, though, was their ultimate relationship. While Obi-Wan would not deny that he had cared a great deal for his late Master, what he felt for Anakin was so much stronger. What he felt for Anakin filled him to his core and his loss would have filled Obi-Wan far more completely.

"We're here," Obi-Wan announced when Anakin made no move to unfold himself from the back of the speeder bike.

Anakin jerked suddenly, coming out of whatever trance he was in. "Sorry, Master."

Twisting his body around, Obi-Wan ducked his head so that he could meet Anakin's gaze. "That is not something you need to apologize for, Anakin. Before you apologize for anything else, you must first forgive yourself of any wrongdoings. Including the deaths of the younglings."

A shudder passed through Anakin's system at the mention of the younglings and Obi-Wan squeezed the hands that were still pressed tight to his stomach. He ran his hand along Anakin's arm, under the sleeve of his tunic, hoping to soothe him. Anakin relaxed against him somewhat, but not entirely. Given everything that Anakin had been through since Obi-Wan had left for Utapau, he didn't expect the younger man to recover immediately. If he did, Obi-Wan wouldn't have trusted Anakin's sincerity. Regardless of how much he loved the younger man, he wouldn't put the galaxy at risk for that love. Obi-Wan wasn't that selfish.

In all the years he'd fought under Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, Cody had never seen the younger Jedi appear so delicate. It was a word that he would have never thought of in context with the Jedi Order's most renowned members. They were strong, resilient, cunning, powerful, as well as countless other adjectives, but certainly not delicate. Yet there was no other word Cody could think of to describe General Skywalker at that moment.

The Hero With No Fear was quite literally clinging the Negotiator's arm as they made their way into the homestead.

Not entirely certain what to make of their current situation, Cody merely began unloading his speeder bike. As General Kenobi's had been burdened with a second passenger, it had fallen until Cody to carry the bulk of their supplies. He tried to be as unobtrusive as possible, not wanting to disturb them. For all that he had worked with them, Cody didn't quite understand the Jedi, least of all the two generals he spent the bulk of his time with. Those two were far unlike any other Jedi pair in both ability and action.

After bringing the water and foodstuffs into the small kitchen, Cody happened across one of the bedrooms where General Skywalker was curled up on the bed, General Kenobi seated next to him, lightly stroking his hair. Cody watched them for a moment before continuing on back towards the common room.

General Kenobi would figure it out in the end.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Obi-Wan rose slowly to his feet. He desperately wanted to get in touch with Master Yoda, but given the state of the former Republic, he couldn't even be certain the ancient Jedi still lived. That meant figuring out on his own how best to help Anakin. And given his obvious failure in Anakin's teaching, Obi-Wan wasn't entirely convinced that he was the best person for the job. He was the one who had left Anakin vulnerable to Sidious' influence. He had never properly taught Anakin how to control his emotions and as a result nearly every Jedi in the galaxy was either dead or being hunted.

And while Obi-Wan couldn't regret the fact that he was alive, he had to wonder what would have happened were he truly dead. Would it have been possible for Padmé or their child to bring Anakin back from the darkness that consumed him.

Anakin didn't have to say anything for Obi-Wan to know that something of note had happened while Anakin was returning Padmé to Naboo. For one thing, Anakin refused to meet his eyes when they spoke, and his body was tense as could be. It had nothing to do with the fight they'd had while chasing after Dooku because that had been resolved during the long hours spent together in the healer's ward.

"This will be much easier if you just tell me what's bothering you," Obi-Wan sighed after two days of them dancing around one another. "We'll both feel better for it."

"I don't want to be expelled from the Order," Anakin burst out, his eyes flashing wide afterwards.

Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut tight. "What have you done, Anakin?"

For a moment, Obi-Wan was sure that Anakin would balk and refuse to tell him. The boy was positively twitching, never a good sign. When things like that happened either Anakin was hiding something or was in the process of telling a lie. As the boy was not speaking at the moment, Obi-Wan could only assume that it was the former.

"I married Padmé, Master," Anakin admitted after several minutes of silence.

Obi-Wan's immediate reaction was to start yelling at the boy's sheer audacity. He tamped down on that reaction, though, because in the end it would have been useless. What was done was done and all that he could do was try his best to keep things from getting any worse.

"Dare I ask whose idea this was?"

Anakin frowned, his brows furrowing deeply. "I'm not sure. I didn't go to Naboo with the intention of marrying her, but it happened. So now we're married and I don't know what that means for me. Will I be expelled from the Order?"

Obi-Wan didn't regret keeping Anakin and Padmé's marriage from the Council. No good would have come from their knowing about it. Obi-Wan had been leery of his own relationship with Anakin when it turned physical given that the younger man was already married. They had been in the midst of a war, though, and any amount of comfort was a blessing in the middle of so much death and destruction.

After a while Obi-Wan had been able to forget that Anakin was married as they spent very little time on Coruscant. When they were on Coruscant they spent most of their time in the Temple and in each other's company.

His true shock had come when he'd discovered that Padmé was pregnant. It was one thing for Anakin and the Senator to be married in secret, but Obi-Wan hadn't been sure how they would deal with Anakin having a child. Given Anakin's substantial strength in the Force, the child was bound to be very powerful as well.

At the moment, though, Obi-Wan's main concern was Anakin. Anakin needed to be well enough so that he would not fall victim to Sidious' ploys a second time. Obi-Wan couldn't be sure that Anakin would not be drawn into the Sith Lord's plots a second time.

"I'm going to go scout the surrounding areas," Cody said, snapping Obi-Wan from his thoughts. "Make sure that there are no sand people or any other threats."

Nodding his head, Obi-Wan continued on towards the kitchen. He needed a good pot of tea in him and some time alone to think. This was the first quiet moment Obi-Wan had had since he'd left Coruscant what seemed like a lifetime ago. More than a lifetime perhaps. When he'd last seen Obi-Wan, the galaxy had been in turmoil, true enough, but they had been so very close to achieving peace after three long years of war. Democracy had still been in place and the Republic, if corrupt, had at least given a voice to the people. Now all that Obi-Wan could see was darkness that suffocated the entire galaxy.

Cup of tea in hand, Obi-Wan slumped into one of the chairs that surrounded a narrow dinner table. It was hardly a chair for relaxing, but it was solid and, most importantly, wasn't in motion. Obi-Wan leaned back in the chair, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. He hadn't shaved in a few days and there were the beginnings of a new beard scratching against his palm. Bearded, he was far too recognizable and would have to shave before long. Obi-Wan wasn't fool enough to think that they would be safe even in the deserts of Tatooine. Tatooine was safer than most systems, but if Sidious wanted Anakin badly enough, the Sith lord would figure out a way to find him.

Obi-Wan could only hope that by then Anakin would have recovered sufficiently from his ordeal. While Obi-Wan's own ordeal had been far from trivial, he had passed through most of it unconscious and relatively unharmed. Anakin was the one who'd been living it all and had been the most effected by it.

Obi-Wan drank his tea slowly, savouring the warmth that filled him with each mouthful. While it relaxed his body, Obi-Wan could find no respite from the thoughts that plagued him. It would take a lot more than tea to calm his mind. Setting the empty cup down in the sink, Obi-Wan made his way back towards the bedroom that he and Anakin would be sharing.

The blonde was still sleeping soundly, his features relaxed for once. Obi-Wan padded across the room silently, shedding his clothes as he went. With a brief wave of his hand, he shut the door firmly behind him, temporarily sealing them away from the world. By the time he reached the bed, Obi-Wan was naked and slipped silently between the sheets. Still asleep, Anakin immediately rolled towards him, curling himself around Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan sighed and relaxed against the sleep-warm body of his partner, allowing Anakin's mere presence to lull him to sleep.